Please help us get our son out of Filipino jail

Gerald and Mary Taylor, the parents of Kevin Taylor, who is in prison in the Philippines, are trying to get their son home

“ALL I want to do is pick up the phone and Kevin to say ‘I’m out come and get me’.”

That is the dream of Gerald and Mary Taylor, whose son Kevin has been locked up in the Philippines for nearly four years.

Kevin and his wife Charlene, who are accused of running an illegal employment racket, have been held on remand while prosecutors drag out their case.

For the past four years, Gerald and Mary have been sending money and parcels to their son to help him through the ordeal of being held at San Mateo jail, in Rizal.

But the couple, who are both pensioners, have come to the bottom of the barrel and are calling on the kindness of others in the town to help free their son.

Kevin and Charlene, who have three children together, face two out of the original charges, and could be released on bail next month if they can pay the £5,000 bond to make sure they don’t abscond.

Hearings for the final two charges are expected to take place on March 7 and 11.

Gerald said: “I’m feeling very down and depressed with the situation at the moment.

“When I try and do a job I get in the middle of it and my mind starts wondering. I can’t concentrate and can’t think of anything else.

“If it was in this country it would be all over by now. It would have been all over in the first six months. Over there it is a different system.

“The cases keep being put to court and nobody is turning up for the prosecution and Kevin is being flung back into jail while it is pushed back for another month.

“If he has done wrong we accept that he will do his time, but what we can’t accept is it being postponed every time and Kevin spending so long not knowing and in awful conditions.

“We have been told that the case due on March 7 is expected to be dismissed, the second case they have said if he gets bail it is going to cost about £3,500, and with Charlene as well that would be about £5,000.

“We have got to the bottom of the barrel – we can afford to live but cannot afford anything above that.

“We don’t know where to turn and we are hoping there are people out there who can help.

“All I want to do is pick up the phone and Kevin to say ‘I’m out come and get me.’”

North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson has been supporting the family and has said that if the case is delayed again the Foreign Office will send an official note to Maila asking the Filipino government to have the cases dealt with as soon as possible.

Gerald and Mary are looking to set up a fundraising page.

In the meantime if you are able to help in any way contact the Swindon Advertiser by email at medwards@swindon advertiser.co.uk and your details will be passed on.